| Friday, February 04, 2005 |
| FIVE ESSENTIAL THINGS ABOUT CHICAGO SKYSCRAPERS |
From 1955 until 1969, the tallest building in
Chicago was the Prudential Building at 601 feet.
It drew millions of tourists but was only 115 feet
taller than the great Pyramid,completed 4,600 years ago.
CHICAGO INVENTED THE SKYSCRAPER,
but critical contributions were made by two non-Chicagoans:
Elisha Otis, who perfected the elevator (1852), and
Washington Roebling, whose firm created the wire rope that
made Otis invention safe and practical (Roebling also spied
on Lee's army from a balloon at Gettysburg and built the
Brooklyn bridge).
The world's skyscraper was the 10 story Home Insurance building
(1885) on the site of today's La Salle Bank building,it was
designed by William Lebaron Jenney, who realized steel skeletons
were the key to taller buildings. Construction was slow because
many feared the steel frame would collapse.
Many know that in 1956 FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT proposed a mile high
skyscraper for Chicago, but few know he envisioned its
100,000 occupants using atomatic powered elevators.
(It's hardly the tallest building ever proposes, that's the
13,123 foot x - Seed 4000, conceived in 1995 by Japan's
Taisei Construction Co.)
Chicago lost its lead in high rises by temporarily banning
them in 1893 because some pols felt they wee "destroying" the city.
OTHER CHICAGO INVENTIONS:
Reaper (1831)
Vacuum Cleaner (1869)
Elevated railways (1883)
Roller skate (1884)
Softball (1887)
Open heart surgery (1893)
Ferris wheel (1893)
Crackerjack (1893)
Zipper (1896)
Fixed trunnion bascule bridge (1902)
Electric washing machine (1910)
Teletype (1916)
Butterfinger (1923)
Radio soap opera (1930)
Twinkie (1931)
Pinball machine (1931)
T-formation (1940)
Deep dish pizza(1943)
Plastic pocket protector (1947)
Spray paint (1949)
Concept of learning disabilities (1963)
Flaming saganaki(1968) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 4:08 AM |
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| About Me |
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Name: infraternam meam
Home: Chicago, United States
About Me: I am now at the prime of my life
and have been married for the past 25 years.
Sickly at times, but wants to see the elixir vita,
so that I will be able to see my grandchildren from my two boys.
See my complete profile
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